The 20 Most Dazzling Creatures That Naturally Glow In The
DarkAveri Clements2 months ago122People
SharingShareTweetBioluminescence is one of the most beautiful
abilities ever seen in nature.Plankton
ShareTweetWill Ho
ShareTweetWill Ho
ShareTweet
DreamMyWonderland While the Maldives islands are the most
well-known place to spot this phenomenon, it happens on coastlines
all over the world. Bioluminescent phytoplankton (the plant kind)
light up the ocean with their bright blue glow when they are
stressed by the movement of the waves. As the tide brings them in,
they are pushed together and create an incredible scene straight
from a fairy tale. Millipedes
ShareTweet
Bernadine Whitworth Eight of the 12,000 species of millipede are
able to glow a greenish-blue at night, even though they are
otherwise brown. Although the creepy crawlies are herbivores and
have no need to attract prey, their light could warn predators of
the fact that they excrete deadly cyanide from their
pores.livescience.comGlowworms
ShareTweetthetravellergy.com
ShareTweet
ShareTweet
Glowworms are actually gnat larvae which emit their bright light
for various reasons. While some of them glow to warn potential
predators that they are mildly toxic, others do it to attract prey,
which then gets caught in their silky strand that allows them to
hang from cave walls. The most famous place to find these "worms"
in all their glory is the magical Waitomo Glowworm Cave in New
Zealand. Snails
ShareTweet
When the clusterwink snail feels like it's threatened, it
withdraws inside the shell and glows a bright green. The shell then
shines from within, making it look like the snail is actually a
much bigger organism that no crab would ever want to mess
with.sciencedaily.comComb Jellies
ShareTweetsciencenews.org
ShareTweetAlexander Semenov
ShareTweetreed.eduThese gelatinous creatures get their name from
the eight rows of tiny, comb-like plates that propel them through
the water. While some species glow a bright green or blue in the
darkness, others simply scatter light as their combs move, creating
a dazzling (but technically not bioluminescent) rainbow
effect.montereybayaquarium.orgFireflies
ShareTweet
ShareTweetTsuneaki Hiramatsu
ShareTweetTsuneaki HiramatsuOrgans located under their abdomens
enable the creatures to signal that they're looking for a mate, but
the light can also warn potential predators that these adorable
bugs are much more fun to look at than they are to eat. Even their
larvae can produce the signature yellow
glow.nationalgeographic.comClams
ShareTweetscienceblogs.comThe common piddock is about seven
inches long, and it's been was discovered that there are several
things that will make it glow a bright blue. The first experience
was when Roman statesman Pliny noticed that his breath lit up the
air when he ate the creature raw. Recent studies also show that the
piddock glows in the presence of free radicals, which may mean new
advancements in how we detect cancer in its early
stages.atlasobscura.comAnglerfish
ShareTweetmontereybayaquarium.org
ShareTweetnationalgeographic.comFemale anglerfishes' dorsal
spines protrude above their mouths and are attached to a piece of
flesh at the tip that glows and attracts prey. When their food gets
close enough, they are immediately chomped up by large jaws and
terrifyingly sharp teeth.nationalgeographic.comRoaches
ShareTweethuffingtonpost.comThe two glowing spots on the backs
of these bugs are actually a disguise that makes them look like the
poisonous click beetle. Unfortunately, these recently-discovered
creatures might have already gone extinct due to a volcanic
eruption near their Ecuador habitat in 2010. It's the only organism
known to have used bioluminescence for defensive
mimicry.united-academics.orgFungi
ShareTweetwikipedia.org
ShareTweetRoger Hofer
ShareTweetwhyfiles.orgThere are over 70 species of
bioluminescent fungi in the world, and they can be found
everywhere. For some species of mushrooms, the light attracts bugs
that help disperse their spores, aiding in
reproduction.cornell.eduSquid
ShareTweetdigitaljournal.com
ShareTweettoptenzpictures.com
ShareTweetDante FenolioMany squid practice counterillumination,
which means that they make themselves glow to match the color and
intensity of the light coming in from above. This prevents
potential predators, who might have looked up after seeing a shadow
of the squid, from pinpointing exactly where their lunch might be
swimming.ucsb.eduCoral
ShareTweetnationalgeographic.com
ShareTweetnationalgeographic.comMost corals actually aren't
bioluminescent, but biofluorescent. The former involves producing
your own light, while the latter means that the organism absorbs
light from an outside source and reflects it back as a different
color. For example, many species of coral will absorb blue or
violet light, but after absorbing it, the animals themselves glow a
bright red, orange, or green.nationalgeographic.comOctopus
ShareTweetimgur.comThe glow on these tiny deep sea creatures
comes from about forty modified suckers known as photopores, which
can either glow continuously or flicker on and
off.ourbreathingplanet.comStarfish
ShareTweetlivasperiklis.comOk, it's not TECHNICALLY a starfish,
but the Ophiochiton ternispinus is a species that is very closely
related to them. Like their star-shaped cousins, these creatures
have five "legs," which are a bit spindly and very flexible. They
also emit a bright blue glow, which helps to attract prey in their
dark habitat.livasperiklis.comSea Anemone
ShareTweetstudyblue.com
ShareTweetMatthew HoworkoJust like their non-bioluminescent
relatives, glowing sea anemones spend much of their life floating
around until they find a good place to anchor. Their tentacles
sting predators and prey with sharp
"harpoons."studyblue.comLanternfish
ShareTweetcheronesiamarinebiome.com
ShareTweetsi.eduAnother deep-sea-dweller, the lanternfish has
photopores around its belly that help it glow in the dark. Its
defining characteristic, however, is its nasal light organ that
produces a bright light from the front of its face and makes it
look like it's wearing a headlamp.si.eduBacteria
ShareTweetkenyon.eduInsects frequently fall victim to these
bright bacteria, They kill their prey by releasing toxins which
ultimately kill and break down the body of the bug from the inside
out.kenyon.eduKrill
ShareTweetwikipedia.org
ShareTweetStillWaterKrill are tiny crustaceans that have high
populations in arctic waters. The strong light that they produce is
used to help them find each other and congregate, which can help
protect them from becoming another creature's
dinner.marinebio.orgGulper Eel
ShareTweetitsnature.orgThe gulper or pelican eel enjoys hanging
out in the deep parts of the sea, where it uses its massive mouth
to swallow prey even larger than itself. Its body has a luminous
organ that helps to light up its long tail, which might be used to
attract prey.oceana.orgMarine Worms
ShareTweetextrememarine.org.uk
ShareTweetmomtastic.comSwima bombaviridis is an annelid with a
very unique defense system. It has eight fluid-filled packs near
its head that it can release at will to produce a bright green or
blue light that helps distract predators, giving it just enough
time to get away.
Source:
http://news.distractify.com/dark/science/20-of-the-most-dazzling-instances-of-bioluminescence-ever-to-exist-in-nature/?v=1&fb_action_ids=10202775057993384&fb_action_types=og.comments&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582
